Family Isn't Just Blood
by CharmedGatekeeper
Summary: Just a thing I started to get back into the swing of writing. Little drabbles into Matt and Richard's lives after the war in Oblivion. Rated T because that's just what I do. {hiatus}
1. Intro

**This was a request from Reader Castellan (thanks love!), and I decided to turn it into a sort of chapter story. **

* * *

Richard Cole never expected to have a family.

Fair enough, he had his parents, but when they disown you because you decided to chase your dreams, then you don't exactly consider them 'family'.

All he had ever wanted in the past was a good job, a career in journalism. That hadn't been working out. To be honest, he had been close to giving up.

His life changed when he came in.

Matt Freeman had promised him a story when he came into the Greater Malling Gazette, and boy, had he given one – a load of crap, Richard had thought. Cats coming back to life? A dead body disappearing? Strange voices in the woods? He had thought the kid was nuts.

But then he checked it out. The story just wouldn't leave him alone. He thought now maybe that was fate deciding his future. He went to see Omega One, just to prove to himself that this was all a load of rubbish. How did that night end?

He pulled Matt out of a bog, almost got killed by live dinosaur skeletons and then almost got killed again by a nuclear reactor. Not to mention everything else that happened after that. Lovely.

But now, after all that suffering and danger and fear, the war was over. And he had a family.

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**I'm going to upload the start of this later, since I'm at school at the moment :) ****I'm also working on the next chapter After the War, so maybe that will be up later too.**

**I'm so sorry about my absence! I'm taking my Junior Cert. this year (which is a big and really important state exam) and I have to study hard for that. Because of that, I barely have any time to write! It's annoying. But, luckily, I have a half day today and I'm getting my mid-term soon, so I'll hopefully write more...**

**I'll see you guys soon!**

**\- CG xx**


	2. 1 - Not Knocking has Consequences

_**I have no idea what this is, I swear. I just visualised some kind of teasing between Matt and Richard, and well…then came this. **_

_**My apologies if it's a bit off, I haven't posted anything in ages and I figured I should at least post something!**_

_**Disclaimer: I could never write such a good series. Power of Five belongs to AH, not moi.**_

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Richard was on his way home from work. He had a job with a newspaper in London - the London Report, they had named it, and it was the only paper going so far. It was the first time in his life where he was writing about things that actually _mattered_. And he loved it.

He had been searching for a job for a while, ever since the world had started to get back on its feet. It had taken a good while to rebuild everything, but it was worth it in the end. He had his own office overlooking the Thames and a job as a training reporter. Training reporter wasn't the best in the whole journalistic side of things, but he was perfectly happy. It beat the Greater Malling Gazette any day.

Now he had moved onto his next dilemma - finding a girlfriend.

Matt had laughed his butt off when he found out that Richard had signed up for a speed dating website. He thought that it was hilarious. It didn't help that he put a picture of an old man as Richard's profile picture. He only left it alone when Richard attacked him with a Nerf gun.

"Alright!" He had yelped as the first few darts hit him. "Alright, I'll leave it alone! Just stop shooting me!" Then he seemed to realise that he could use his power. Richard still had a small bruise on his arm from the force of the darts.

Richard now smiled at the memory. A lot of people would think he was nuts for being a guardian – or, as Richard saw it, an older brother figure – to a kid like Matt, but he never regretted it once. Matt was a good kid, in all honesty, a good kid that bad things happened to. It wasn't his fault that he was tossed into such a dilemma, putting it mildly. Even at eighteen, he had experienced much more trauma than any adult alive ever would. But, somehow, he was still the same sarcastic lunatic that he'd had to pull out of a bog a long time ago. Idiot.

Sighing softly, he pulled into the drive of a large apartment block. It was one of the first apartment blocks to be built after the war, and they were lucky to be living there, especially since some of the city was still in ruins. But the Nexus always made sure they got the best. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

And there was the fact that the government had sorted the internet and phone lines before the housing and food supplies. Good priorities? Please.

Pulling on the handbrake, he got out of the car and locked the doors. He pulled his bag over his shoulder and checked that his gun was still shoved in his belt. He still couldn't find a holster anywhere for it, and he knew it was dangerous to carry a gun unguarded like that. But it wasn't like he was going to accidentally shoot himself in the leg. Right?

He started to walk up the stairs. The apartment himself and Matt shared was near the top floor. When he finally reached the floor, he was breathing heavily. Way too many stairs. Rooting in his pockets, he pulled out his keys and slotted the door key in.

* * *

"What time did you say Richard was coming home?" Scarlett Adams asked from her place on the couch. She was watching a rerun of an old comedy that she used to watch when she was younger. 'Only Fools and Horses' it was called, and she loved it, much to the surprise of most people.

"Six. Don't worry, he won't mind you being here." Matt gave his girlfriend a grin, standing by the hob in the kitchen. He was making tea, and waiting for the kettle to boil. They hadn't been supplied with an electric one yet, so he was boiling it the old-fashioned way.

Scarlett glanced at him as he leaned against the counter, almost staring at him. She shook her head and looked back at the television. "I know that," she laughed. "But we both know how much he teases you."

Matt nodded slightly, carrying two steaming cups over and offering her one. "I can tease him right back. He'll find a girl eventually." He sat down next to her, laughing as he saw the main character of the show got a bottle smashed over his head.

Scarlett laughed softly, leaving her cup on the table. "You're nuts."

"So you must be nuts, hanging around me," Matt grinned cheekily, leaving his cup next to hers.

"Oh! How dare you!" Scarlett said in mock-outrage, shoving him.

Matt's grin widened. He wrapped his arms around her waist and started tickling her. She squealed, kicking at him but he wouldn't let go.

"Matt, let go!"

"Take it back."

"No! Let go of me!"

"Take it back!"

"Fine! Fine! I take it back! Now let me _go_!" She squirmed in his arms.

Matt chuckled and kissed her cheek, loosening his hold. "I'm never gonna let you go," he whispered.

Scarlett blushed. "Stop it, you sap."

Matt shook his head and kissed her softly. At that point, Scarlett melted, just like she always did. He had the unique talent of making her emotions fade away. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she let him pull her into his lap.

They were going to be there a while.

* * *

Meanwhile, Richard was obliviously unlocking the door, humming quietly to himself. He figured Matt would either have Scarlett over, be watching TV or be playing video games. But what he found waiting for him was a different story.

"MATTHEW FREEMAN!"

Matt jumped about a foot and Scarlett screamed. They both stared wide-eyed at the newcomer.

Scarlett's hair was a mess and her top had slipped up slightly. She tugged it down, blushing furiously. Matt's t-shirt, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen. Despite his shock, there was a clear look of annoyance on his face.

"You two…were…" Richard was lost for words.

"Yes, we were. Problem?"

Scarlett slapped Matt's arm, blushing harder. Matt looked smug.

"I'd prefer if…you know…maybe kept it to yourselves?"

"Hey, you're the one who barged in here!"

"Matt, stop," Scarlett hissed.

He fell silent.

Later, as Scarlett left, Matt was doing the dishes. His shirt had magically reappeared, and now hung loosely from his shoulders. He glared over at Richard. "You could've at least _knocked_."

"It's my place. Why should I knock?" He smirked a bit. "I'm glad I didn't though. Got to see you make a move." He ruffled Matt's hair. "I'm _so _proud of you."

He left him, laughing evilly as he watched the teen's face go a bright shade of red. Good enough for him.

Richard smiled to himself. It was going to be a lot of fun, living with Matt. It was time the kid learned what it was like to have an older brother.

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_**Review? They make me very happy!**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**\- CG xx**_


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